INDEX TO MIDGE IMAGES

First - A few comments concerning my "Taxonomy"

Readers will note that I frequently refer to "groups" or "types", often preceded by a name coined from the names of a series of genera (e.g., "Lauterborniella/Zavrelia type" or "Doithrix/Pseudorthocladius group"). I make a very great effort to be deliberately conservative (if you like - a lumper) in naming the midge remains. I do not want to mislead future readers of my publications who might mistakenly assume a higher level of precision in my identifications, and thus, mistakenly use my data to draw unjustified conclusions concerning past ecological conditions or the past distributions of midge species and genera. To me this principle is far more important than trying to place a name on every specimen. So many new midge species and genera are being described every year that I think this is the only honest way to cope with the identifications.

In my usage "group" and "type" indicate some uncertainty in the identification. The suffix "type" indicates that the specimen very likely belongs to the genus, genera or species named - but a precise identification should not be assumed. I use the suffix "group" to indicate somewhat greater uncertainty. For example, the specimens I refer to as "Doithrix/Pseudorthocladius group" might belong to a number of genera apart from Doithrix or Pseudorthocladius. (Terrestrial and semi-terrestrial chironomids, such as these, are especially poorly studied. There are certainly a huge number of undescribed species; thus, it would be highly misleading to indicate a more precise level of identification.)

Similar difficulties with identifications are frequently encountered by pollen analysts. The system adopted here is adapted from that commonly employed in their work (e.g., Moore & Webb, 1978).

Moore, P.D., and J.A. Webb (1978). An Illustrated Guide to Pollen Analysis. Hodder and Stoughton, London. 133 pp.

FAMILY CHIRONOMIDAE

Subfamily Chironominae:
- Tribe Chironomini:
- Tribe Pseudochironomini:
- Tribe Tanytarsini:
  - Subtribe Tanytarsina:
    - Cladotanytarsus mancus group
    - Cladotanytarsus group A
    - Corynocera ambigua
    - Corynocera near ambigua
      (Although this species is superficially similar, it is definitely not C. ambigua - among other things, the mentum is too dark. This species appears to be relatively common in coastal British Columbia. I have not seen any similar material elsewhere.)
    - Corynocera oliveri type
    - Micropsectra atrofasciata/radialis group
    - Micropsectra bidentata group
    - Paratanytarsus
    - Paratanytarsus
    - Tanytarsina group B
    - Tanytarsina group B
    - Tanytarsina group C
    - Tanytarsus chinyensis group
    - Tanytarsus chinyensis group
    - Tanytarsus lugens type
  - Subtribe Zavreliina:
    - Stempellina
Subfamily Diamesinae:
Subfamily Orthocladiinae:
Subfamily Podonominae:
Subfamily Prodiamesinae:
Subfamily Tanypodinae:
- Tribe Pentaneurini:
- Other Tanypodinae:

FAMILY CERATOPOGONIDAE
(Biting Midges or "No-see-ums")

FAMILY CHAOBORIDAE
(Phantom Midges)

FAMILY CULICIDAE
(Mosquitoes)

A Mosquito Head Capsule

FAMILY SIMULIIDAE
(Black Flies)

Prosimulium

Miscellaneous Other Things:

Order Ephemeroptera (Mayflies)
- A Mayfly Mandible
Order Acarina (Mites)
- A Mite - Maria Hartley's comment: "I don't know if your mite was a mystery, but I believe it belongs to the suborder Cryptostigmata, possibly family Metrioppia. I've attached a picture of a similar mite (different family) from the middle canopy of a 'Natural' forest in Texas."

Last Update: 29 January 2007

Recommended Citation

First - A few comments concerning my "Taxonomy"

Miscellaneous Other Things:

Order Ephemeroptera (Mayflies)

Order Acarina (Mites)